Revealed: Top 23 NPLQ Women’s stars to watch in 2022
From A-League Women’s super stars, international recruits and homegrown heroes – there’s plenty of talent on show in the NPLQ Women’s competition. We reveal the top 23 players to watch.
With two rising A-League women’s stars added to their ranks Souths United coach Gary French said there was no reason they couldn’t challenge for the NPLQ Women’s title this year.
Lions FC claimed top honours last season winning the Premiership, Championships and Kappa Women’s Super Cup.
Souths finished in third with 11 wins from 16 games.
They have recruited well in the off-season picking up several big names including Brisbane Roar star Rie Katano and Western Sydney’s Bella Habuda.
“I think Souths will be competitive in the league due to the quality of players we have,” French said.
“The goal is to try and make the finals but we don’t have a big squad. Hopefully everyone can stay fit and healthy.”
Souths are not the only club to bolster their ranks with players from the A-League women’s competition.
Brisbane Roar keeper Georgina Worth is expected to return from injury to play for Capalaba this year and Roar captain Ayesha Norrie is joining the Lions for 2022.
French said it was fantastic to see so many big names and quality players in the competition.
“Every team has picked quality players so every game will be like a final,” he said.
“It should be a very good competition.”
In French’s opinion the teams to beat this year will be Lions FC and competition newcomers Olympic FC – who were promoted after finishing on top of the FQPL1 competition last season.
The competition kicks off this weekend with a clashes between Lions FC and Olympic and Moreton Bay United and Sunshine Coast Wanderers at 6.15pm on Friday night.
Here are the top 23 footballers expected to shine in the 2022 NPLQ Women’s competition.
Brittney Lacek
Olympic FC
Brittney Lacek has made the move to Olympic for the 2022 season after scoring 19 goals from midfield for Logan in 2021. Lacek, 28, is a tenacious playmaker with an eye for spectacular goals. She was named in Brisbane Women’s Premier League Player of the Year in 2019 following a standout season with Coomera.
Willow Liukaina
Olympic FC
Olympic centre back Willow Liukaina will look to improve on her 2021 season this year. The 23-year-old arrived at Olympic in 2021 after playing in the US College System and Brisbane Roar’s youth teams. She is a physical player and her ability in the air makes her a threat in set pieces.
Ayesha Norrie
Lions
The Brisbane Roar captain will join the Lionesses as a marquee signing for the 2022 season. A versatile midfielder with a host of attacking characteristics makes her a force to be reckoned with. Lioness coach Rob Askew intends to take advantage of these traits and dispense Norrie as a number 10- in his new team set up.
Lua Suero
Olympic FC
After a stint at Souths United and training in the UK with Manchester United’s under-23 side Lua Suero is back at her junior club – Olympic for 2022. Suero, 19, first played for Olympic as a 14-year-old. A silky midfielder who excels in one-on-one situations, she will be hard for any team to handle.
Melissa Taft
Brisbane City
Melissa Taft, a talented wingback, will prove a nuisance to whoever she comes up against this season. The Brisbane City player is known for her ability to go non-stop all game, finish goals and her lack of fear. Her energy levels and competitiveness are second to none.
Natsumi Tanak
Brisbane City
Clever, agile and energetic – Natsumi Tanaka has everything a midfielder needs. The Brisbane City player is a playmaker and the heartbeat of the team. She always has enough in the tank to push forward and get back and defend.
Kijah Stephenson
Brisbane City
A striker for Brisbane City Kijah Stephenson is creative, tricky, skilful and not afraid to show off. Stephenson has an uncanny ability to combine flair and skill to find the net.
Zara Kruger
Lions
Lioness coach Rob Askew believes rookie sensation Zara Kruger will one day line up for the Matildas. Kruger, 15, showcases a remarkable range of abilities and has the high work rate of a successful midfielder to match. Askew said Kruger is able to keep up with veteran teammate Mariel Hecher for distance covered during games.
Mariel Hecher
Lions
Mariel Hecher will line up as co-captain at the Lions for the A-League Women’s off-season. Hecher, 29, was a pivotal member of the 2021 side which won a historic treble, winning the Premiership, Championship and Kappa Women’s Super-Cup. Hecher, a creative forward, has an impressive work rake covering more than 13kms a game. The Brazilian has a perfect combination of technical ability and competitive spirit.
Jacqueline Cashman
Moreton Bay United
Jacqueline Cashman has already made an impact in the NPLW but she isn’t going to stop yet. Cashman, 20, is a talented central defender with the ability to play out wide as well. Her speed, strength, distribution and ability to read the game led her to play a key role for the Jets in 2021, before and after their horrific mid-season run of injuries. Cashman was named in the NPL All-Star Women’s squad to face Brisbane Roar and was also named Moreton Bay United’s Women’s Best and Fairest.
Sam Bambling
Moreton Bay United
Moreton Bay United forward Sam Bambling had a stunning first season after joining from The Gap in 2021, scoring 18 goals in 15 games, including a hat-trick on debut. Bambling, 19, is known for her speed, strength and ability to break the line. She scored in all but two games in the first half of the NPLW season before joining Jet’s long list of injured for the second half. Bambling had a number of offers from other clubs in the off-season but didn’t want to play for anyone but the Jets.
Ellen Gett
QAS
She is only 17 but Ellen Gett already has an A-League game under her boots. The defender will line up for the QAS side in the NPLW this year. She is already a leader within the team and known for her ability to operate in wide areas.
Tamar Levin
QAS
Tamar Levin, 17, was named in the NPL All Stars Women’s squad after an impressive 2021. She was a train-on player with the Brisbane Roar A-League Women’s side over the summer – experience that will bolster the QAS squad.
Jonti Fisher
QAS
Jonti Fisher was named the Golden Boot winner in the 2021 NPL Women’s U-23 competition with 21 goals in as many games. She played a vital role in helping the QAS side claim the premiership. This year will be the 16-year-old’s first in the NPL Women’s competition.
Aono Goda
Eastern Suburbs
Japanese midfielder Aono Goda, 23, will debut in the NPLW with Eastern Suburbs this season. She has previously played for Daito Bunka University and Sosios FC in Japan. Coach Tony Panetta said Goda was a technically gifted player with an ability to read the game well.
Holly Clarke
Eastern Suburbs
Holly Clarke, 19, fell in love with football as an 11-year-old playing in Rockhampton. She moved to Brisbane after completing high school and joined Suburbs NPLW U-18s side in 2020. It didn’t take the centre back long to earn a call up to the first team. She signed her first NPLW contract with the club in 2021. Coach Tony Panetta said Clarke’s best attribute was her ability to improve every single week.
Momo Hayashi
Gold Coast United
Momo Hayashi will be back in Gold Coast United colours after missing last season with an injury. Hayashi was named in the NPL Women’s Team of the Season in 2019 and 2020. She plays a crucial role for United and her return from injury will be a big boost for their side.
Nadine Keast
Gold Coast United
Hailing from Mackay, Nadine Keast, is looking forward to returning to Gold Coast United for the first time since 2019. Keast returns after a stint with Coomera Soccer Club and Ipswich City FC. In 2021 she played for Olympic FC and helped them secure a spot in the NPL Women’s competition for 2022.
Rebekah Horsey
Sunshine Coast Wanderers
Rebekah Horsey will be looking to add another championship title to her name, but this time with Sunshine Coast. Horsey, who played in the A-League Women’s competition for Canberra United and Brisbane Roar, will once again join the Wanderers after signing with them in 2021. The crafty midfielder previously won the Premiership-Championship double with Lions FC in 2019.
Louise Rolfe
Sunshine Coast Wanderers
After four years with South West Qld Thunder Louise Rolfe has made the move north of the Sunshine Coast Wanderers. She is a threat when she has the ball at her feet and has a great ability to find the net. Rolfe was selected as a fan favourite in Football Queensland’s NPL Women’s All-Time XI in 2020.
Georgina Worth
Capalaba FC
Brisbane Roar’s women’s keeper Georgina Worth missed half of the season after tearing the meniscus in her knee – following surgery she hopes to line up for Capalaba again this NPL season. Worth was named the 2020 NPL women’s keeper of the year and was in the running for keeper of the year last season. Worth played a big role in helping Capalaba to a grand final appearance last year.
Rie Katano
Souths
Rie Katano, 29, is a dynamic midfielder with a great ability to defend. The Japanese rising star debuted in the A-League women’s competition for Brisbane Roar last year after scoring 31 goals in less than three full seasons in the NPL Qld competition. She played for Okayama Yunogo Belle in Japan’s National League before moving to Australia and joining with Gold Coast United in 2019. She made the switch to Souths for the 2022 season.
Bella Habuda
Souths
Bella Habuda has been one of the leading goalscorers in the NPLW for the past two seasons while playing for Gold Coast United. Her efforts were rewarded with a contract from Western Sydney in the A-Leagues Women’s competition this year. This year will be her first season with Souths and she is sure to be a strong addition to their line up.
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